Piper PA-28-161 accident near Columbia, Kentucky, April 30, 2021
On April 30, 2021 at about 10:29 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA-28-161, registered N2136M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Columbia, Kentucky (Columbia-Adair County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to obtain a proper touchdown point on the runway, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2021 · about 10:29 pm local time
- Place
- Columbia, Kentucky · Columbia-Adair County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 NO SERIES, built 1977 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N2136M · registry record · serial 28-7816253
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was landing to verify the fuel quantity in the airplane. Witnesses observed the pilot reject one landing and perform a go-around maneuver. On the second landing, he touched down about ¾ down the 2,600 ft runway and continued off the departure end into the grass and impacted a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and engine mounts. After the accident, the pilot stated that the runway was “a short runway, and [he] didn’t anticipate it.” Furthermore, he reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing area overshoot during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,990 hours in all; 1,990 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 9, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,420.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2020; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D30 (piston); 1,403 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LUK Cincinnati OH at 8:00 pm
- Destination: BHM Birmingham AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 2,600 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on August 17, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Interview Summaries | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.